


Hell Hath No Fury.

by jasminecheyanne



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Betrayal, Character Death, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Family Issues, Female Firefighter, Firefighters, Mental Health Issues, Partner Betrayal, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Slow Burn, Violence, fan fiction, vengeance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-31
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2018-10-13 02:32:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10504605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jasminecheyanne/pseuds/jasminecheyanne
Summary: Evangeline Price, Lieutenant of Squad 67 in the New York firehouse.Her childhood was good. Normal. Two loving parents still alive to this day and as eccentric as ever. Good grades that got her straight through her entire school time. And a couple of really close friends that worked at other high-up jobs to keep their city safe.Eva's father was a fireman - the Chief as it happens, though now retired - and she grew up wanting to be just like him and had been determined to prove all those snot-nosed boys back in school, who said a girl couldn't be a firefighter, wrong. And here she was, the head of the Fire Squad. How about that?When someone targets her firehouse, she isn't about to stand idly by while those mother fuckers got their rocks off at terrorising her team. Her mama had taught her how to fight for a reason, so why not put her skills to good use?She hadn't expected that her digging for the truth would in turn give her more questions than she had the answers for.





	1. 00. Vengeance.

**_Late November, 1983._**  
 ** _Somewhere in New Orleans, Louisiana._**  
 

_The fair-haired woman moved as silently as a shadow behind the tall, dark-skinned man as he cut across the dance floor toward the bar. Alicia Richards nearly vibrated in her excitement; She hadn't been anticipating she'd find her target the first night her mission began. Instead of feeling wary, as she should have, she was exuding smugness and arrogance. Fortunately for her, her misplaced confidence did not give away her presence._

_The African-American man was searching for the woman that he was unknowingly being followed by. He cursed and griped in his mind at his poor luck; His intel had said she'd be at the ball! Where the hell was she? He sighed under his breath as he reached the bar and rattled out his drink order. Nick Fury picked up the glass of Bourbon and turned to lean his back against the bar. His glass paused before reaching his mouth as he caught sight of his target spinning around in the arms of a man on the ballroom floor._

_Feeling eyes on her, Alicia's gaze drifted towards the bar where her target was ordering a drink, only to find him striding toward her confidently, his drink long forgotten behind him. Alicia turned back to her dance partner and smiled up at him seductively. "What do you say we get out of here, handsome?"_

_Alex, far more intoxicated than Alicia would ever allow herself to be on a mission, smirked in such a way she was sure he thought was sexy, and nodded his head. "I would love to, sugar-tits." Alicia forced out a girly giggle, pressing her index finger to his lips to avoid a, no doubt, sloppy kiss. "I just need to use the ladies room. Meet me out front?" To make up for the refusal of his kiss, Alicia pushed her body against his and bit at his neck where it met his shoulder._

_A shiver rippled through Alex and he nodded his head eagerly. With one last filthy smile, Alicia spun around gracefully on her heel and strode toward the washrooms, leaving the drunk man in a daze. Little did he know he wouldn't be seeing her again. She smirked to herself as she heard her targets footsteps follow after her._

_Nick tracked his target to the bathrooms, but before she could step inside, he made his move._

_Having anticipated his attack, Alicia dropped to the ground and spun, sending her lower leg crashing into both of his, knocking him off of his feet. The music in the dance hall muffled Nick's shout of surprise. Fortunately for him, he never failed to train hard and well. Nick was quick to roll to his feet and throw his fist._

_The pair were starkly different in appearance and their fighting tactics. While Alicia moved like a dancer - slow at first before increasing in speed and intensity, dodging and circling before throwing rapid-paced strikes, Nick moved like he had no sense of self-preservation - hitting hard and fast, him striking aggressively before his opponent could. Her; like a crescendo. Him; like a bellicose._

_In the end, Nick's warlike fighting cost him._

_Alicia caught him off guard while he had his arms wrapped around her from behind. She slammed the back of her head into his nose, a crack reverberated loudly against the hallway walls, and was quick to follow it up with her elbow to the side of his face._

_Groaning, Nick stumbled away from her, cupping his gushing nose and bruised cheekbone in his hands, making sure to keep his eyes on the woman all the while to avoid further surprises._

_In his mind he was cussing himself out for being so stupid as to let his guard down. He read her file, he knew what she was capable of, and yet he still let her get the best of him._

_The pain from his nose and cheek was an irritating distraction, but what threw him off entirely was how she straightened her defensive stance and dropped her arms to her sides, just studying him with her green eyes, a heat unlike anger emitting from her stare._

_For a long time, they just stared each other down. And then Alicia spoke._

_"I gotta say, New York, up until the busted nose...you were impressing me with your skills. You might've even had a chance in beating me if you hadn't gotten distracted by your dick on my ass."_

_Nick simply raised his eyebrows in annoyed amusement. "If you were havin' so much fun, Louisiana, why'd you put your ass on my dick?" Rationally, he knew it was his own fault that his nose got broken - he did get distracted and she would never know how true her words rang -, but he wasn't about to tell her that. He'd rather break his entire face before he admitted anything._

_The mission completely forgotten, Alicia barked out a laugh as a roguish grin spread across her face. "Well excuse me, sir, but you didn't say that seat was taken now did you?"_

_Nick Fury took his hand away from his busted nose and smirked wolfishly at Alicia Richards, his arms held out wide at his sides. "If you want it, blondie, take it."_

 

_**Early August, 2014.  
Whiteface Mountain, New York.** _

 

_Encased in the mountainside leading far underground lay secret headquarters for a nefarious organisation that specialised in which it was named for. Vengeance inflicted punishment to those who have done them wrong._

_They believed in justice. Not the half-assed justice the police and the Avengers believed in. They believed in being the judge, jury and executioner because true justice could not be reached as long as the wrongdoers were simply rotting inside a jail cell. It could only be reached through death. The members of said group do not let things go easily, and they stay true to their word. This instance was no different._

_Nicole Gregor stood before the leader of Vengeance, David Casey - a man in his mid-fifties. Her hands were stuffed inside her jacket pockets to keep from the cold of being underground - in a mountain no less, where summer weather did not touch -, awaiting her orders._

_Nicole could tell from the air of the cavernous room that her leader was holding back rage. She could only hope he wasn't mad at her._

_David pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger and sighed. "You remember Agent Alicia Richards, don't you?" He asked, his voice echoing in the spacious room._

_Nicole furrowed her eyebrows, but nodded her head. "The idiot who got herself killed on the Nick Fury mission. What about her?" She queried as a big gust of wind blew into the cave, blowing her raven hair about her face._

_"She's alive and well living with her husband, Michael Price, in Manhattan." He laughed once without humour. "While on her mission in '83, Richards contacted one of the previous leaders. Saying she was working on gaining Fury's trust, and he told her to make that happen in any means necessary. So, of course, she slept with him. Lesser men are defenceless against a woman's charm." David Casey leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest._

_"When Fury made it out alive, worse for wear, our sources inside S.H.I.E.L.D. informed us he killed her, having found out she wasn't as in love with him as she lead on. But recent sources informed me of something...unfortunate."_

_David Casey pressed a button at the side of his desk, and a screen pushed out of the wall across from Nicole. The screen showed Alicia, albeit older, with a young woman dressed in a firefighter uniform who was clearly biracial by her side. Agent Richards was gazing up at the stunning mixed woman with an obvious motherly glow to her. She had Alicia Richards' eyes._

_Nicole Gregor's eyebrows shot up, disappearing under her thick fringe as everything came together in her mind. Her gaze snapped over to David who was staring grimly at the photo of the two women. "It appears Director Fury lied. Our Agent did not die a warrior's death, but in fact fled at his behest after he got her pregnant."_

_"What do you need me to do, sir?" Nicole wondered, her ice blue eyes flicking back and forth between the mother and daughter. Agent Gregor's eyes flitted back to her boss as he pushed himself from his chair. With his arms folded behind his back, he walked over to Nicole._

_"Evangeline "Eva" Price is the Lieutenant of Squad 67 of the Manhattan firehouse. From what I can tell, they're a very tight-knit group, so you're going to need to work on becoming a valuable member of the team. And then I want you to kill her. Agent Richards' needs to know that we're watching her. The loss of his daughter will undoubtedly unravel Director Nick Fury's world, and he will do our job for us." He paced back and forth in front of her as he spoke._

_"Gain the team's trust. Find out whatever you can about Price and report back to me. Our vengeance will come when the time is right."_

 


	2. 01. Today's Gonna be a Good Day.

As she slowly woke from her slumber, her eyelids were tinted orange from the sun peeking in through the sheer white curtains. A soft sound escaped Evangeline Price as she stretched out her arms and legs, her eyes remaining shut to not blind herself with the sunshine. As Eva became more aware, she began to feel the soft pressure of someone hugging her from behind, and the rhythmic puffs of their breath hitting the back of her neck, setting her baby hairs in a flurry, tickling her.

A slow, content smile began to grow upon Eva's face as she slowly turned to face her bedfellow. Even asleep, Nicole Gregor was a sight to be seen. Her porcelain skin was riddled with light brown freckles, freckles she hid behind foundation, her raven hair was a curly mess as it lay spread out behind her. Her nose was slim and slightly turned up at the tip, while underneath her lips were plump and shapely. _Curvaceous_ , Eva liked to call them.

But it wasn't her apparent beauty that made Eva fall in love with her. It was her dry, sarcastic humour; it was her compassion; it was how she loved her job and how well she did it; it was her smile when she was mid-belly laugh; it was her nose crinkled so precious when she was trying to fight back said laughter; it was the way her blue eyes shone with love and adoration as she gazed into Eva's eyes while she lay underneath her before and after their throes of passion. Eva was in love with who Nicole was as a person, not her physical appearance; that was just an added bonus.

"You're starin' at me again."

Eva's eyes refocused as she came back to their Manhattan loft. Green irises met blue and each pair crinkled at the corners as they lit up with mirth. Nicole pushed herself up on her elbow, her long hair spilling down her back, the white sheet falling from her bare chest. 

Eva's dark and nicely groomed eyebrow raised as a seductive smirk made its way upon her face. "How can I not? You, Nic...are simply _bangin'._ Even with the drool on your face." Eva laughed as Nicole's eyes widened comically and as she covered her mouth with her hand, searching for the drool. Her icy eyes narrowed playfully when she found none, which only made her girlfriend laugh harder.

"You're a little shit, you know that, Eve?" The biracial woman in question grinned a cheesy grin and rested her head on the forearm Nicole was using to prop herself up with, batting her dark eyelashes up at her. "You love me, truly." Eva reached up to poke Nicole's freckled cheek, trying to make her laugh.

Nic pretended to think on it grudgingly, before eventually smiling softly down at her girl. "Yeah, I guess I do." A blush darkened Eva's cheeks as Nicole lowered her head to place an upside down kiss to Eva's plump lips. For a few moments, they allowed themselves the soft sensation of their lips sliding against each other's, as they didn't catch many moments alone without interruption.

_Speaking of interruptions..._

Nicole and Eva jumped apart as Eva's alarm clock blared through the room, ringing the bell of 5:00am. Laughing softly, Eva climbed out of bed, as naked as her name day and shook out her long brown hair and slid the hair-tie around her wrist. Nicole wolf-whistled and smacked Eva's ass with a pillow. The green-eyed beauty turned to glare at the snickering blue-eyed raven, before shaking her head and walking into the bathroom for a shower.

As soon as the water started running, Nicole takes her phone from where it lay charging on the night stand and pressed her thumb to the fingerprint access. Opening the notepad, she scanned through the list she had made in 2015. It was a list of things Nicole has learned about Eva in the, almost, three years she's known her.

_Evangeline is someone who does not trust easily. It took me an entire year to fully gain her trust and for her to fall in love with me. Once she trusts someone, she is loyal until the very end of her days, unless someone gives her a reason not to. When she loves, she loves fiercely, unless someone gives her a reason not to._

_She is very friend-oriented; she does not treat her co-workers simply as co-workers, but as friends. Family even. She is also very family-oriented, which amuses me because her so-called "father" is not her dad, and her mother is a traitor to the cause. Until the time for Vengeance is here, I must refrain on correcting her when she calls that man, Davey Price, her "father"._

_She's very warm around her loved ones, but around people she doesn't know, she is stoic and professional. She can sometimes even come off cold. She is very reliant on her gut instinct. She's like her real father that way. Nick Fury. She hasn't suspected me yet, though, which leads me to believe her gut isn't as superior as she and everyone she knows makes it out to be, or I'm just a damn good actress._

_She throws herself into being a firefighter and pulls no punches when faced with difficult decisions. She is good at what she does, she loves what she does._

_She is well-versed in mixed-martial arts, thanks to her traitor of a mother, which could turn out to be a detriment once my true identity is revealed. When Evangeline feels betrayed, she really shows the truth of hell hath no fury._

Nicole presses the screen, and adds a new paragraph to her ever-growing list. _Evangeline Fury is the spitting image of her biological father. Which, in turn, makes her hard to love because I despise Fury. Judging by how she acts around me, I am doing well. Mr. Casey will be pleased._

Before she could write any more, two text messages from a blocked number appeared on her screen. The first message read three simple words; _Vengeance is near._ The second message held an address for a supposedly abandoned warehouse in the bad part of Manhattan. Underneath, one capitalised word; _EVANGELINE_.

When Eva stepped out of her bathroom, fully dressed and her hair wrapped in a towel, she found Nicole sitting up in bed, hunched over her phone with a serious expression upon her face. "Babe? What's wrong?" Her eyebrows were furrowed over her forest-green eyes.

At the sound of her voice, Nicole's head snapped up, her eyes like blue fire landing upon Eva. The biracial woman's frown deepened further at the hostile look in her girlfriends eyes, but as soon as the dangerous look appeared, it was replaced with a warm smile.

"Nothing's wrong, my love. My mom just needs me to pick something up for her because her car is in the shop, it won't take long. I'll meet you at work, okay?" As she spoke, she stood up from the bed, her phone locked and discarded amongst the bed sheets, and wrapped her arms around Eva's neck, placing a sweet kiss upon her lips.

A smile grew on Eva's face, though there was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that something more was going on, as she reciprocated the act of love. Eva decided not to pry. She trusted Nicole with her life, and when she was ready to tell her what was really going on, she would.

"Okay, be safe. I love you."

Nicole smiled at her girlfriend lovingly and repeated the words, but inside, she was screaming _"I'M STRAIGHT, LADY. AS STRAIGHT AS A BOARD."_ Eva, on the other hand, was bisexual and proud. She defied the stereotypes linked to bisexuality. She was proud of who she was, Nicole could say that about her, at least.

* *

With a duffel bag over her shoulder, Eva strode toward the big doors of House 81, and smiled at the sight of ambulance 61, her Squad 67, Truck 6 and Chief Cho's Battalion 81. Her company was always a welcome sight so early in the mornings, an even greater sight was the members of the house.

She was looking down at her black and green work uniform with the word Lieutenant written on the back of her jacket and a patch of Squad's mascot, the stag on its shoulder, when a familiar voice called her name. Eva swivelled her head toward his voice and smiled up at the tall, lean-but-slightly-lanky ginger that was her best friend, Alexander Michaels; the man who drove the Squad to and from calls.

"Aye, Michaels! How's my favourite ginger doing on this fine morning?" Eva crowed as he slung his arm over her shoulders and put some of his weight on her.  Alex's grin was blinding as he looked on at House 81. "Well, Price-Tag, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, my hair is looking bomb...I'm doing great." 

As they walked into the large garage, he looked down at her, his brown eyes brighter than usual from excitement. "Today's gonna be a good day. I can feel it." Eva smiled as his optimism washed over her, and she couldn't help but nod her head in agreement. "I trust you." She laughed.

Having overheard their conversation, the Lieutenant of Truck stepped toward them with a wide smile. "Know something we don't, Michaels?" Jason "Mack" Mackenzie teased, slapping Alex on the shoulder with a large, callused hand. "Sir, no, sir. It's just a feeling." Alex replied, giving the other lieutenant a mock salute, the grin never leaving his face.

"Hey, where's Gregor? I figured you'd come to work with her in tow like a duckling following her mother." Mack wondered, playfully, as his hands wrapped around his radio, his finger poised over the channel button out of instinct, ready to radio in at any moment. Eva snorted and shrugged her shoulders, tucking a strand of hair that fell loose from her halo braid behind her ear. "She said she had to get something for her mother and that she'd meet me here. She shouldn't be much longer now."

Mack tsked and mocked being serious. "A late candidate is a bad candidate."

The three of them walked back into the locker room to put away their bags, greeting the paramedics, Jones and Thomas, and the remaining crew members of Truck and Squad on their way. "Hasn't she proved herself by now?" Alex wondered as he unceremoniously shoved his bag into his locker next to Eva's. "She's saved our asses a bunch of times, I'd say she's passed candidate." At the unimpressed look on Mack's face that read _"Is she your candidate? No? I didn't think so,"_ , he flushed. "But, you know, it's none of my business or anything..."

"Foot in mouth..." Eva stage-whispered in-between giggles as she shut the cream-coloured locker door. Alex sent her a glare as Mack snorted. "Nah, you're right, Michaels. Chief and I wanted to keep this on the down-low until our shift was over, but I suppose there's no harm in telling you two now..." He trailed off dramatically, his blue eyes meeting Eva's. "Your girl is movin' on up on Truck."

Before Eva and Alex could respond, a female voice came over the intercom. _"Ambulance 61, Squad 67, Truck 6, Engine 6. Car accident on West Side highway; person trapped."_

"Duty calls." Eva said with a grin and punched Alex on the shoulder as she passed him by, twirling on her heel to walk backwards as he and Mack followed after her. Eva pointed a finger at the Truck Lieutenant with a wink. "I wanna be there to see her face when you guys tell her the good news." 

* *

Two ambulances were just driving away with their patients when Chief Steven Cho's radio buzzes to life. Eva, Nicole and Mack had been standing next to him, Eva wiping the sweat that had built on her brow from clearing the wreckage from the highway. She met the Asian-American chief's eyes as a woman spoke.

_"Chief Cho, is House 81 available to aid the Avengers with a burning building?"_

The two biracial firefighters' eyes widened in bewilderment while, behind them, Nicole Gregor's hardened in annoyance and disgust. Eva nodded her head in response to her Chief's questioning eyes, silently asking for her opinion. He then turned to Mack, who also nodded his head, a large grin upon his face.

"House 81 is available." The Chief composed himself enough to answer. The woman on the other end radioed in immediately, rattling off the address.

Nodding his head to himself, Chief faced the firefighters. "81, listen up! We have been requested to aid the Avengers with a burning building. Pack up, and remember, best behaviours or you get none of Jones's apple crumble. Got it?"

With groans and whines of understanding from the crew, Squad and Truck packed up while the Chief radioed ambulance 61 to meet the rest of the company on scene. Nicole sat in the back of Truck, listening distantly to the excited chatter of her co-workers, and prepared herself for what would happen next.

This burning building of the Avengers' just so happened to be Vengeance's choice of the year. _Gain their trust,_ David Casey said. _Our vengeance will come when the time is right,_ he told her. This was the first time in nearly three years that Nicole believed him.

_Meanwhile in Squad, Eva and Alex were joking around._

"Are you ready for this, Lieutenant Blackie Chan?" Alex asked his lieutenant with a mischievous glint in his eye. Eva barked out a laugh. _"Lieutenant Blackie Chan?_ I'm not even Asian!"

Alex shrugged his shoulders as he turned a corner. "No, but you're black and you've got the moves like Jackie Chan. It fits." He told her as if it were the most obvious observation in the world. 

Shaking her head incredulously, she said, "What has been going on with you lately? Yesterday you called me Finn from Star Wars. I've never seen Star Wars in my life so I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult. And the day _before that_ , you called me Mulan. I can't fight with a sword, I don't have a cute dragon friend, and again, I'm not Asian!"

They kept going back and forth like that until they reached the scene. People were already rushing out of the building and into the arms of the paramedics on sight, soot caked under their noses from the smoke inhalation. Some of them were sporting burns on their arms and legs. Behind the civilian's, fire peeked out through the windows, the flames having not yet engulfed the building entirely.

It was easy to spot the bright colour of the Black Widow's red hair, the silver glint of Sergeant Barnes's metal arm, the red detailing of the Falcon's wings, and of course, the red, white and blue of the Captain's shield and uniform.

_"Holy shit,_ it's Captain America. In the flesh!" Jacob Roberts squealed, peeking through the windshield in-between Michaels and Price's seats. As if he had heard him, Captain Rogers's head turned toward them. Eva could've sworn she saw a smile twitch at his lips before disappearing. 

Squad hopped out of the bright red truck and Eva punched Roberts on the shoulder with a smirk. "Remember, Roberts. Best behaviour or no apple crumble. Try not to faint, we've got a job to do." Roberts rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath, mocking her, as he leaned against the Squad while Eva, Mack, and Chief Cho approached the four superheroes.

Eva took off her helmet and tucked it under her left arm as she held out her right for handshakes. "Captain, Sergeant, Agent Romanov, Mr. Wilson, it's an honour to meet you. I'm the Squad Lieutenant Price, this is Truck Lieutenant Mackenzie and this is Chief Cho. What's going on here, other than the obvious?" Each had a strong handshake that she responded to in kind.

Everyone shook hands and said some sort of greeting before Captain Rogers turned to her. "The people in this building are part of the dangerous organisation HYDRA, and it doesn't sit right with me putting your team in more danger than you go through on a daily basis. We can handle this on our own, Lieutenant's. Chief." 

Eva knew he was probably just being his usual, kind self, but she was not having it. As soon as anyone, even if it was unintentional, thought she couldn't do her job, she lost her temper. Just a little. "I think I can speak for everyone here and say that we don't care if they're bad news. We rescue people; we don't discriminate. Whether they're criminals or not is for the police to decide." Her eyebrows quirked in annoyance and Mack put his hand on her shoulder to calm her down. 

Steve's jaw clenched in irritation as he looked into her eyes the same colour as the fabled Greek fire. "The people in that building are a part of an ongoing investigation of ours. We have jurisdiction." Eva snorted, "Okay, cool. You and your _jurisdiction_ can have at them when we're done here."

While the two of them were arguing, the other firefighters were watching the building, and candidate Nicole Gregor radioed in to the Chief. _"This building is going up, Chief. The back entrance is locked. We gotta go in now."_

The Captain opens his mouth again, but Eva holds up a hand to stop him. She sighs, "You may have been trained to become a Captain to fight wars, but I have been trained to become a Squad Lieutenant to fight fires." She paused as she met the other three Avengers's eyes. "I thank you all for your service, but right now I need you to stand aside and let us do our job."

It took a few seconds, but with a shared look between superheroes, the Captain nodded his head. Eva turns to her Squad and barks out orders, "Roberts, get the 30 inch Halligan and some bolt cutters, we're sweeping the ground level while Truck takes the top floor! Dawson, Michaels, with me. Masks on!"

"You got it, Lieutenant!"

Steve, Natasha, Bucky and Sam all stood back and watched as the short girl with fiery green eyes and startlingly familiar features, and couldn't help but be in awe of her leadership. Some more than others. Steve had his eyes glued on Lieutenant Price as she and her chosen people put on their oxygen masks and helmets before charging into the burning building. 

Back in the '30's and '40's, female firefighters were never allowed, as with most "masculine" jobs. And to see a female firefighter, of colour no less, as the Lieutenant of one of the companies? Well, Steve was a little more than impressed, if not a little intimidated and maybe kinda turned on. The awe didn't leave his face until Bucky elbowed him in the side.

Natasha, Sam and Bucky all had the same teasing expression upon their faces. "Oooh, the Captain has a crush on the Lieutenant." Natasha purred while Sam and Bucky choked on laughter. "It's like a horrible erotic novel, or something!" Bucky chortled. 

Sam nudged his side, a mischievous look in his dark eyes as they flitted between the former Winter Soldier and former Red Room assassin. "You would know, wouldn't you, _Sergeant? Agent?"_ Natasha rolled her eyes while Bucky tried to laugh between flushing cheeks.

While they had been teasing back and forth, Steve had been looking over the building as firefighter after firefighter came out with an injured person or two. _Something doesn't feel right,_ Captain Rogers thought uneasily to himself.

"Isn't it a little odd? I thought this was just a place where they did research, by the books. No actual experimenting was being done here." Steve asked, looking to Bucky, who had been the one to find the base, through his jumbled memories. The Sergeant shrugged, "Anything could've happened in there. But I think you're right. This doesn't feel right."

Steve nodded his head, "Let's keep a close watch on the HYDRA operatives and the firehouse. Just in case."

_Meanwhile, inside the HYDRA warehouse..._

Eva and Alex moved slowly throughout the lower level of the warehouse, nearing the end, having split up with Roberts and Dawson to cover more ground, crouching to avoid getting licked by the flames engulfing the ceiling, as high as it was. 

"Fire Department, call out!" Eva shouted over the flames, through her oxygen mask to be heard. They moved around a pile of metal rods to find a fence blocking off the rest of the warehouse, flames roaring behind it. "Fire Department, call out!" Eva repeated as she slowly approached the fence with Michaels at her heels.

Just as Eva was about to tell Alex they should move on, she saw movement in the corner of her eye. When she turned, she could just make out a hand reaching up for help from behind the fence underneath a cot. Eva grabbed Alex by the arm and pointed toward the fence. "Wait, there's someone there! Use the bolt cutters to create a hole big enough for two and hold it open, I'll go in and get them!" She ordered, and Alex was quick to obey.

As he cut the fence, the Chief radioed in. "Price! Roberts and Dawson are already out. There's less than three minutes left before this place goes up, what's your status?" 

"There's someone trapped behind a fence, Chief! Michaels is cutting a hole big enough to get me and the person out." As she spoke, her eyes fell upon a burn mark on the wall behind the metal rods. Just behind the fence sat a cot. "There's no one else down here, but I think this might be where the fire started! East wing." Eva reported, looking around the warehouse to judge the damage of the building so far. Of course the chief was right. _Two minutes left._

"As soon as I say get out, you two get the hell out! Understood?" Chief barked sternly, no room for disagreement. "Understood, Chief."

Michaels tossed the bolt cutters aside and held out one side of the broken fence open for Eva to fit through. "Good job, Michaels!" The Lieutenant praised as she slid through, her oxygen tank only slightly sliding against the metal rungs.

Evangeline got down on her knees and gripped underneath the persons armpits, hauling him out from under the cot. The man appeared to be late thirties, early forties with glasses covered in smoke. Light and movement caught her attention and when she looked down at his left leg, she cursed loudly. _He was on fire._ Frantically, she patted out the flames with her protective gloves, then radioing in to the chief, "Got a victim here with what appears to be third degree burns to his left leg from mid-thigh down to his foot!" 

As she gripped him by his armpits again and dragged him through the hole in the fence, Chief Cho radioed back, "Jones and Thomas will be waiting at the back entrance. You two need to get out, now!" 

"Help me get him out of here!" Eva said to Michaels and they each took an arm, Alex making sure to keep the man off of his bad leg as they made their way to the exit. Just before they reached the door, there was a loud crack from above them, making them move faster. The ceiling collapsed just as Eva went to kick the door open.

Everyone outside heard the building collapse. Lieutenant Price and Michaels hadn't made it out. They all watched the back entrance desperately as smoke and embers billowed out.

Making sure she played the part, Nicole threw off her helmet and screamed, _"No! Eva!"_ Lieutenant Mackenzie had to tackle her to the ground to stop her from running into the building, "You can't go in there, you know that!" He yelled over her cries.

"Price, Michaels! Report!" Chief Cho demanded as Steve, Natasha, Sam and Bucky stepped forward, grim expressions upon their faces. When there was no sound other than the cracking of wood as it became engulfed, the Chief tried the radio again. "Price, Michaels! Report!"

A few terrified heartbeats later, and three bodies were stumbling out of the building, and a collective sigh of relief escaped the onlookers. The moment the injured man had been passed off to the paramedics, Nicole was clinging onto Eva for dear life. "Don't you ever do that to me again!" Nicole screamed, shaking Eva by the shoulders vigorously. Eva's laughs came out in jolts from her girlfriend's shakes, "Yes ma'am."

At the clearly romantic exchange, the three Avengers all looked to see their Captain's reaction. His eyes were downcast though his mouth was smiling in that crooked, half smile he does. Bucky patted Steve on the back sympathetically, and Steve sent him a nod of appreciation.

Finally out of the embrace, Eva kissed Nicole on the head before turning to Alex. "I thought you said today was gonna be a _good_ day!" She accused lightheartedly, throwing one of her gloves at his face, to which he caught just in time.

Alex became playfully defensive. "Hey! We're alive, aren't we? I'd chalk that up as pretty damn good!"

* *

After Jones and Thomas checked over the injured civilians, they were taking the crucial victims to the hospital with a S.H.I.E.L.D. escort. The remaining stayed on sight, being watched by Agent Romanov, Sam Wilson and a few S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Truck put out the fire and Lieutenant's Price and Mackenzie, Candidate Nicole Gregor and the Chief were accompanied by Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes to find out exactly how it started.

In the east wing of the lower level, Steve and Bucky worked together to move the metal rods away from where Eva thought the fire began. As soon as they were moved to the side, Eva set her flashlight upon the burn mark. "See how the burn just goes up straight to the ceiling? I think this was where it started, but not what made it completely ignite." She moved her torch down the wall as she spoke, "I didn't notice it before with fire riding my ass, but there looks to have been some sort of electric-" Her words cut off as her eyes fell upon something eerily familiar.

At the base of the wall in red spray-paint, one word was written in all-capitals. Or rather, one _name_. 

_EVANGELINE._

Eva turned to her chief with wide eyes, uncomprehending what was right in front of her. _"What the hell?"_ She whispered. At the sound of approaching footsteps, she turned and met Alex's eyes, hers bright with fear and his with confusion.

Bucky's head snapped up and tilted to the side as if listening to something. Steve listened too and his eyes widened as he detected a high-pitch hum, getting louder as seconds passed. It was coming from their left, close to the exit. 

_"Get down!"_

In unison, the super-soldier's grabbed whoever was nearest to them and covered them with their bodies, shielding them just in time for the bomb to detonate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me seven hours to write, folks. I hope you enjoyed it! Lots and lots of angst coming your way, but it doesn't stay that way forever! Please comment any thoughts you have on this chapter and/or predictions of the future of this story! Until next time.


	3. 02. Caught Red-Handed.

His ears were ringing. A high-pitch whine that seemed never-ending. He couldn't hear anything else and began to panic, tried to open his eyes but all he could see was darkness. Every time he breathed in he inhaled dirt, making himself cough and wheeze, his lungs desperate for clean air. A touch of something cold and smooth on his shoulder centred him, and suddenly, the ringing faded away. Suddenly, the light chased away the darkness and the world came back to him at once.

"Steve, pal, are you okay?"

Bucky was standing over him, his concern shining through the grime covering him head-to-toe. Steve nodded his head and coughed once more, "Yeah." He looked down upon the two people he shielded from the explosion and his eyebrows creased in concern. Lieutenant's Eva Price and Jason Mackenzie lay beneath him, unconscious and covered in dirt as the Captain's red, white and blue shield hovered over them in protection.

Steve hooked his shield onto his back and took in a trembling breath and held it. He pressed two fingers of each hand to their necks and closed his eyes, desperately waiting to feel a pulse. Air escaped him in a gust of relief when he felt two steady beats thrumming against his fingertips like the most harmonious rhythm known to man.

The Captain met the Sergeant's eyes, a silent question written in his blue eyes. Bucky nodded his head in response and allowed himself a small smile of relief; the Chief and Eva's girlfriend, Nicole, were still alive.

The mirroring smile fell from Steve's lips as he recalled the events mere seconds before the bomb went off. It hadn't just been the six of them in that building. A firefighter had walked through the door, too far from Steve or Bucky to be shielded and too close to the bomb to survive, before it detonated. 

Steve and Bucky shared another look before Steve pushed himself to his feet. He already knew what he would find when he turned toward the door, but knowing didn't make seeing it any easier. The man who had walked in was laying on his back, his eyes open and unseeing, his helmet on the ground next to him, broken. As Steve moved debris off of him, he had to swallow down the bile that rose in his throat at the sight of the crack in the firefighter's skull, where a support beam fell. The blood was only a few shades darker than his red hair. Steve closed his eyes and bowed his head as he prayed to a God he wasn't too sure he believed in anymore, for the fallen firefighter's safe passage into Heaven.

The moment of silence passed and Steve Rogers disappeared in the shadow of Captain America.

"What- What happened?" Eva managed to ask through a cough. She brought her hand to her pounding head as she looked around. Her breath caught in her throat as she feasted her eyes upon the damage surrounding her.

The ceiling had collapsed around them, the corner closest to her the only part that managed to survive. The part of the building farthest from her, though, was in complete ruins; she could see the clear blue sky from where she lay on the ground. She and the ground were soaking wet from the hoses used to put out the fire. As she continued to look around, she found her friends regaining consciousness as Sergeant Barnes stood before them. 

"HYDRA must've planted a fail-save, a bomb, in case we ever found this building." The Sergeant informed her, though his eyes remained on his oldest friend. Captain Rogers stood closest to where the bomb must have been, his back straight and shoulders tense, as he looked down at something ahead. Eva followed the blonde's line of sight, and gasped at what she saw there.

_"Alex!"_

Bucky's eyes finally focused on her as she pushed herself shakily to her feet. "Lieutenant, wait-" He tried to warn her, but his protests fell on deaf ears.

As Eva raced to her best friend's side as if standing on newborn legs, Nicole Gregor sat with her knees pressed to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs as she stared off into space. _Why didn't he tell me there was a bomb? Did he not know about it? Or. . ._ her breath hitched in her throat. _Or did he know about it all along and decided I was expendable?_

Eva had seen the damage to Alexander Michaels' head, but it didn't sink in. "No, no, no..." She muttered to herself as she pressed her hand to his neck. Tears began to pool in her eyes when she couldn't find a pulse, but she was quick to begin chest compression's.

"Come on, Alex. You gotta keep fighting!" She gently tipped his head back, taking his chin in her hand and pulled his jaw open before plugging his nose shut. Eva forced two breaths into his lungs before continuing the compression's on his chest. Steve, Bucky and the others couldn't do anything but watch.

"Breathe, dammit, breathe!" Eva shouted as her compression's grew rougher and her kiss of life became more desperate as he failed to respond. She was about to blow more air into his reluctant lungs for the third time before a gloved hand fell upon her shoulder.

Tears were leaving tracks on her dirt-covered cheeks and as she looked up at Steve, more fell. "Why won't he breathe?" Her voice was small and her vulnerability was revealed to the Captain for the first time. His expression became all-the-more solemn as he shook his head gently. "I'm so sorry, Lieutenant, but...he's gone."

As soon as the words left his mouth and reached her ears, Eva's expression went blank and her tears stopped rolling. The wall inside her mind shot up high and strong, blocking out the sound of her hearts' cries. Compartmentalisation was one of her strong suits, which was fortunate for her line of work, but unfortunate for her life outside of her duty.

Steve noticed the change in her demeanor instantly and frowned as she stood, "We should get him out of here and see if anyone outside got hurt during the explosion." She refrained from meeting anyone's gaze as she brushed past Steve and headed outside, clambering over pieces of the fallen building with an almost eerie sort of grace.

Steve met the gaze of Chief Cho and he could see the pain for their loss but also the concern for one of his lieutenants who just lost her best friend. But Steve knew that being a Chief was not unlike being a Captain; there was a time and a place to grieve, and on the battle field was neither the time nor the place. And as the Chief breathed in deep, Steve witnessed his own wall go up behind his deep brown eyes.

"Buck and I will carry him out to the others." Steve informed Chief Cho, Lieutenant Mack and Nicole Gregor as the Sergeant made his way to Steve's side. Lieutenant Mack shook his head and stepped forward, his expression grim, "With all due respect Sergeant, Captain. . .but he was our friend. He was our _family_."

"Of course." Steve replied softly as he and Bucky moved aside for the two men to gather up their fallen brother. Nicole trailed behind them, her arms wrapped around herself, as if to hold herself together.

In solemn silence, the five of them exited the building, squinting their eyes from the harsh sunlight. Once their eyes focused, Steve and Bucky were welcomed with the sight of Truck and Squad standing before them, their helmets in their hands as they looked upon the man in their superior's arms. Nat and Sam were among them, though they were standing far enough away as to not draw unneeded attention to them.

Eva had taken off her gear and was now standing in a black polo t-shirt next to the ambulance, watching with dim eyes as her Chief and fellow Lieutenant placed her friend upon a gurney. Eva couldn't help but think that she was the reason Alex was dead. It was _her_ name written on the wall, after all. She should've searched harder, maybe she could have found the bomb and _saved_ him. Maybe if she had listened to Captain Rogers, one of her men wouldn't be dead right now. Had her pride gotten the best of her? Had she wanted to prove her worth to the famous _Avengers?_ Eva knew nothing for certain, other than that Alex was dead and she could have prevented it.

Chief Cho stood before his firehouse with his hands on his hips and a throbbing pain in his heart. For a few moments he looked his team over. He took in their grief and put it upon his shoulders. Steven Cho lowered his head and shook it side-to-side, breathing in deep, "We lost a great man today. One of our own."

He ran a hand through his short black hair before squaring his shoulders, putting on a brave face for the people under his care. "Alexander Michaels was family to us. In much ways he was a light in the dark of our worst days. But I think we all know that he wouldn't want us to think of this day as a failure, but as a win."

As he spoke, Eva took one of Alex's hands in both of hers and kissed his knuckles before gently laying it down on his stomach. She closed her eyes and lowered her head until it rested upon his chest. And as her long hair covered her face from anyone watching, she let a tear fall, praying to God that his chest would move with his breath, but knew that it wouldn't happen.

"Despite the fact that those people in that building are a part of the same organisation that has wreaked havoc over us all, the Avengers far more than we could ever begin to imagine, we saved their lives today. We saved their lives so we could get justice for not only Alexander Michaels, but perhaps for many others they've harmed as well. Alex will not have died in vain, 81. Justice will come."

Eva tore herself away from Alex's side as the Chief finished his speech that she hadn't taken in a word of. She straightened her back and widened the stance of her legs as she hooked her thumbs into her suspenders. "Alright, 81! Let's pack up and roll out."

Steve, Natasha, Sam and Bucky were all watching from the sidelines as the firefighter's packed away their equipment, but something bright red caught Bucky's eye, and it wasn't the trucks. Turning his head fully, his gaze zeroed in on someone's hands that were covered in what could have been blood. _Or was it paint?_

As his shoulders tensed, the three other Avengers' looked over in concern before following the Sergeant's line of sight. Steve sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of red, the same colour as the name written on the walls of the HYDRA building, on Lieutenant Price's girlfriend's hands.

The four superheroes shared a glance before Natasha stepped forward, her hands at her sides and body loose and ready to spring into action at the slightest confirmation of their suspicions. "Forgot to wash the paint off your hands after your arts and crafts, Ms. Gregor?" At the sound of her name, Nicole froze while closing a compartment door on Truck, her eyes falling to her bare hands.

_Son of a bitch!_ Nicole hissed in her mind. _With everything that happened, I forgot to keep my gloves on until we got back to base._

At the Black Widow's odd question, Eva turned from where she was staring blankly at Alex's empty seat behind the wheel, her eyebrows furrowed as she approached Nicole and the Avengers. Sam Wilson rested his hands on his hips as an easy smile came across his face, though his eyes were guarded and sharp, "You were painting a picture of Tony Stank, weren't you? Or maybe it was of me? It's okay, you can admit it, I am devilishly handsome. I can sign it, you know, if you want."

Sergeant Barnes stepped in front of Sam, his expression far more dark and cautious than the man's behind him. Natasha slipped behind everyone as all eyes fell upon him. "Or you forgot to wash your hands after you painted that name in there." Eva's eyebrows shot up into her fringe at the accusation as she stood by Nicole's side. "What the hell are you talking about?" She demanded to know, crossing her arms tightly across her chest as she glared daggers into the former Howling Commando.

One beat passed before Nicole answered. One beat too long. "I must have been pushed against it when you covered Chief and I from the explosion." She said, wiping her hands on her thick, fire resistant trousers. Bucky nodded his head as his eyes scrutinised her every twitch, "You always take your gloves off on the job? 'Sides. We were the farthest from it."

All colour left Nicole's face and with only a split second of thought through her jumbled mind, she turned and tried to run. Natasha's stiff forearm welcomed her, slamming into her throat and sending the raven haired woman to the ground, wheezing. Sam rushed over to aid Natasha in pulling the winded woman to her feet, and the pair turned Nicole Gregor around to take her into custody, only to have Eva blocking their way.

Steve could see tears building up in Eva's eyes and immediately stepped forward, putting his hand on her back, "Lieutenant. . .Eva, we don't have to do this now." He told her softly, staring at the side of her face, waiting for her to meet his gaze. Eva merely shrugged off his touch and kept her blurry eyes on her _girlfriend_.

"Did you do it?"

Before they got the call to aid the Avengers', Eva never thought even once during getting to know Nicole that _this_ is what the day would have come to. Eva never thought Nicole was anything more than she said she was.

_No,_ Eva thought to herself, _That's not true. There was this feeling in the back of my mind, in the pit of my gut, that something was off. I just didn't want to believe what my instincts were telling me. But after all those secret phone calls and messages she received during the same time every year I've known her, the only one's she never shared with me. . .With how she would always leave before me to do some_ errand _for a friend or relative I've never met. . .And now the paint on her hands?_

Eva could feel rage boiling in her blood as bile filled her mouth to which she swallowed down. The fire in her veins was far worse than simple anger. The thing rising within her like a phoenix from the ashes was. . . _betrayal_.

It took a few moments for Nicole to catch her breath enough to speak, "Eva, baby, they're talking nonsense. _Of course_ I didn't do it! I must have gotten the paint on me when I was re-painting Chief's office door today." 

Rage overflowed, kicking aside any other emotion that could've been inside of her. She spoke through clenched teeth, "The door you were painting was _green_. Not _red_." With the speed and agility that could only belong to someone trained in martial arts, Eva lunged forward and slammed her fist into Nicole's cheek, the bone cracking under her strength.

No one could hear the candidate's scream of pain over Eva's screams, nor through her flying fists. 

_"You killed Alex! You killed a fellow firefighter, my best-fucking-friend! My brother! You are a poor excuse for a human being!"_

"Lieutenant!" Chief Cho shouted as he and Steve raced to grab hold of her arms, hauling her away from the beaten and bloody woman. Eva fought against them as Natasha and Sam led Nicole toward a S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicle, her fellow firefighter's watching the scene in bewilderment and betrayal.

Eva continued on screaming the same words over and over again, her voice growing hoarse from the strain on her vocal chords. She shouted even as Nicole left her sight as her body sagged back against Steve's and the Chief's, _"Traitor!"_ She managed to throw out before her sadness overcame her anger.

Steve let go of her as Chief Cho pulled Eva into his arms, and stepped back beside his own best friend, whom he thought dead once before. The only difference between his and Eva's story was that. . .he got the happy ending. The Captain met the Chief's eyes from over Eva's head and mouthed the words, _"I'm sorry,"_ before he and Bucky turned to follow after Sam and Natasha.

While the heroes were placing a handcuffed Nicole into the back of their van, they stayed silent as they listened to the strong Squad Lieutenant's cries of grief, betrayal and rage.

As Steve himself climbed into the vehicle, he turned to look out the window, his gaze stuck on firehouse 81's fighter's surrounding Chief and Eva's embrace, their heads all bowed in a moment of silence for those they lost. Steve knew that the building behind them wouldn't just be a building anymore. He knew they would see it as a grave-site. And nothing would change that. Not even justice.

_**One Week Later** _

Squad and Truck all stood in uniform in two rows while the Chief stood at the head of them. Eva felt as if her arm was stuck in the position of saluting Alexander Michaels, though she couldn't find it within herself to care if her arm _did_ remain in that position, because it was all she could give him at the moment. Not tears, not justice. Nothing but a damn _salute_.

The gunfire was still ringing in her ears as the Chief dismissed them. Jason Mackenzie was at her side in an instant, and she let him lead her wherever he wanted. She thought to herself, that he could be leading her to the edge of a cliff and she wouldn't know it until she was falling.

"Lieutenant Price. . .our deepest condolences."

Eva's focus cleared at the sound of her title, and she blinked up at Captain Rogers as he stood in front of her, Sergeant Barnes, Sam Wilson and Agent Romanov flanking him. She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised, seeing them out of their heroic uniforms, and instead donning black suits and a dress, but she was.

"Thank you all for coming. I think I can speak on the House's behalf when I say, it really means a lot." Eva made herself say, urging herself to become more alert in the presence of such power. She managed a small smile, as insincere as it was, as she shook Steve's hand.

"Of course, Lieutenant. It's the least we could do." Steve replied, smiling in that earnest way of his, that only he seemed to be able to do without coming off as condescending. 

Eva smiled through the others' condolences as best she could before she had to excuse herself. While everyone was mingling, Eva found herself leaning against the back entrance of House 81, her hat in her hands and her eyes closed as she tilted her face up to the sky. She hadn't been able to have much time by herself, what with her parents spending all day, everyday with her. She knew they meant well, but all she really wanted was her privacy.

The female Lieutenant straightened at the sound of approaching footsteps and adjusted her hat back over her pinned-up hair. Steve rounded the corner just as she smoothed out the wrinkles of her blazer. "Hello, Captain Rogers." Eva greeted in a pleasant tone.

"Lieutenant Price." He responded before leaning against the brick wall next to her, breathing in a deep breath and releasing it slowly. She studied him as he slouched his shoulders forward and crossed his ankles, his hands shoved into the pockets of his slacks. When he met her gaze with a small smile, only then did she let herself relax again.

Eva kept waiting for some patriotic speech, held her breath for it, but it never came. Steve simply stood in silence with her. He knew that she didn't need to hear some bullshit speech about how her pain will get easier to manage. In her line of work, he assumed she's had her fair share of making room for more pain. All he had to offer her was his presence, and he hoped it would be enough for now.

The Lieutenant and the Captain stood in a comfortable silence for a few instances longer when Eva turned to him. Steve turned to look at her to find her staring up at him, her green eyes bright with determination. Steve knew that, after she ran her tongue over her lips and uttered those four words, his life would change.

_"I need your help."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you guys think of this chapter? Please leave any comments and/or any predictions you may have for the future of this story. Until next time!


	4. 03. Rumour Mill.

**_Mid December, 2015.  
Evangeline's Loft Apartment._ **

_Snow fell from the grey sky, decorating everything in its sight. New York winters were always brutal, but Eva adored them. She loved playing in the snow; making snowmen, snow angels, and having a snowball fight with her parents or friends. She could go out in even the coldest weather in nothing but a sweater and never feel cold, much to her parents' frustration. Her mom always said she ran so hot because her temper was like fire. Her dad always said that it was as though Eva never got cold simply to spite Mother Nature; she never liked to be told how she should or should not feel._

_The fireplace was burning bright, shrouding the room in its warmth and making the room smell like a late night bonfire, sans the s'mores. Eva and Nicole sit with their legs twined together on the couch, a glass each of red wine in hand. They watched in comfortable silence as the flames licked their way over the logs of wood, turning them brown, then black, before they eventually crumbled into dust._

_Eva had put together a romantic dinner that evening, not only because she loved to spoil her girl with romantic things, but also because she had a plan. She was going to ask Nicole to move in with her, officially. She pretty much lived there anyway; had her own space in Eva's closet and drawers, had a toothbrush and some skincare and makeup in her bathroom, her jewelry mingling with Eva's. All she needed now was her own key. She deserved one of her own, rather than use the one taped under Eva's mailbox like she had been doing._

_She was going to do it before dessert, honest, but she may, or may not have chickened out at the last second. She was gonna do the whole, "whoops, what's that in your pie? Oh, it's a key!" but she feared Nicole might miss it and swallow it whole, and then they'd have to go to the hospital and explain how a house key got lodged in her girlfriend's throat and that no, it wasn't some kinky shit, you disgusting pricks. . .Yeah, okay, she was nervous. But there was no reason for Nicole to say no, right?_

_"Do you think it's that easy?" Came Nicole's voice, ripping Eva from her reverie. When the green-eyed woman glanced over, Nicole was staring into the fire, the blue of her eyes becoming an almost. . .silver-gold, and for a moment, Eva was struck dumb. She was struck with just how much she loved the woman sitting across from her, and with how she wanted to spend the rest of her life with her. She could see it. She could see their future in her eyes lit by fire._

_"Move in with me." Eva blurted, then proceeded to slap a hand over her mouth in horror._

_Nicole's head snapped over at once, her blue eyes wide with shock, "What?" Her voice was quiet, nearly a whisper. Eva's face burned as hot as a building set on fire._

_"Shit, I swear to you that this was going to be_ much  _smoother. I had a plan and everything. . ." Eva rambled, only being able to stop herself from digging an even deeper grave because of the smile slowly but surely spreading across her girlfriend's face._

_"You're serious?" She asked, her smile turning into a beam, "This isn't just one of your accidental proposals, is it?" Her voice was teasing and Eva huffed, folding her arms across her chest, "That was_ one time! _I_ knew  _I shouldn't have told you that story. . ."_

_Nicole continued on as if Eva hadn't even spoken, "You really want me to move in with you, for real?" She set her wine glass on the coffee table and untangled her legs from Eva's, and crawled her way in between the biracial woman's legs, her face mere inches from hers. Eva could barely breathe._

_"Yes," Eva whispered, breathless, "For real, Nic."_

_The blue-eyed girl nuzzled her nose against her girlfriend's as she whispered three words, her warm, grape-scented breath fanning across Eva's face in an intoxicating manner, "Ask me again."_

_Eva began to grin as she tilted her face toward Nicole's, their lips brushing against one another as she did as she was bid, "Move in with me, my beautiful girl."_

_"Okay." Nicole said on a laugh, before Eva was even finished speaking. Evangeline laughed alongside her girlfriend and placed her hand on the side of her neck, pulling her in for a kiss._

_"Okay." She repeated, her voice muffled by Nic's lips, before playfully rolling them off of the couch with a clatter as they slammed into the side of the coffee table, knocking their wine clear off their coasters and onto the floor._

_For a beat they lay there in silence, trapped between the couch and the table, wine spilling everywhere on Eva's formerly pristine off-white carpet._

_"You do realise you're never getting that stain out, right?" Nicole pointed out as she tried to smother her amusement._

_Eva simply threw her arms around Nicole's neck and rubbed the side of her face against hers, "Worth it."_

_**Present Time.  
Firehouse 81, Manhattan, New York.** _

"I managed to sweet talk the boys over at Arson into giving us the files with certain. . .similarities." Chief Cho informed his lieutenant's and the Avengers, slapping three folders down onto his desk.

"This has happened before?" Steve asked from his place at Eva's right as he reached over and flipped open the files. Just inside lay photographs of three words spray-painted on walls.  _VENGEANCE, FURY_  and  _EVANGELINE_. He felt himself pale as he exchanges glances with his team. It couldn't be a coincidence that both the Director and her names were up there.

"Two other times," Eva replied, monotone, her eyes fixated on her name painted in red. "The only difference is that no one got killed." A sardonic smirk fell upon her lips, "Wonder what changed." Lieutenant Mackenzie put his hand on Eva's shoulder and the room was silent for a few moments.

"Maybe we should come back to this later," The Chief suggests, causing Eva's head to dart up, her eyes narrowing as she glares at her boss. "Get cleaned up and some rest, look at this again with fresh eyes and minds in the morning."

The Squad Lieutenant slams her hands down on the desk, startling everyone into silence, "With all due respect, we've been sitting on this for months, Chief. No, this  _has_ to be dealt with now."

"Why's that, Eva? The case isn't gonna grow legs and run away. We've got time." Mack tries to reason with his friend, but she only settles her glare onto him, "She wasn't working alone, Jason. What if someone else in our House is just like her? What if they're planning another attack?" No one missed the fact that she couldn't say Nicole Gregor's name, but no one blamed her, either.

"How do you know she has a partner?" Steve wonders, folding his arms over his chest. Eva turns to him and mirrors his stance, "We'd been living together for nearly three years, Captain. I noticed that once a year, never around the same time, that she would get mysterious messages and phone calls. She always found a way not to answer them around me.

"She told me it was her mother, or a friend from college. At first my mind went to her cheating, but for some reason that just didn't fit. She got a message the day we found my name written on the wall. She said she had to help her mother with something and left. Then the shit hit the fan." Eva reported in an almost mechanical fashion, "She has a partner. No doubt about it."

Sam steps into her line of sight from where he was leaning against the windowsill, " _Your_ name was on the wall. Seems like a target to me. Maybe you should stay low for awhile and let us handle it for now, just in case she was working with someone in your House."

Eva grits her teeth and tilts her chin up stubbornly, "My mama taught me how to fight from a young age, Mr. Wilson. I can protect myself just fine  _and_ work this case."

The man known as the Falcon opens his mouth to speak, but is cut off by Natasha. "What is your mother's name?"

Eva furrows her eyebrows in confusion, but answers the question nonetheless, "Rosalind Andrews, but she took my father's last name, Price, when they married. Why does it matter what her name is?"

_Definitely an alias_ , Natasha thinks to herself as she purses her lips and picks up the photo of the word Vengeance. "In the 70's, there was word of an organisation that went by the name  _Vengeance_. True to their namesake, they went after people who betrayed them, but if they couldn't go after that person directly, they targeted someone close to them. Someone they loved." She reaches her hand into her pocket and pulls out her phone, typing away at it quickly.

"In '83, an agent by the name Alicia Richards was sent to kill the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. but failed and died in the process. Or so Director Fury told us." She picks up the photo of the word  _FURY_. "There have been rumours going around that the agent hadn't really died. She really just ran away." The red-headed woman pauses, her green eyes flitting up to meet Eva's, and says, "This is her." before turning her phone to Eva.

On the glass screen there was a picture of a woman. A woman she recognised instantly. Eva could feel the blood leaving her face and stumbled back into Chief Cho's desk to keep her from falling. Rosalind Andrews, her mother, was staring right back at her.

The Black Widow's voice is startlingly soft as she speaks, "I think you and your mom need to have a little chat."


	5. 04. Your Betrayal.

Evangeline Price stands on the porch of her childhood home, having yet to approach the wooden door painted white. She held her phone in her hand, and through the cracked screen she read four new names added to her contacts list. She could hear Natasha's voice in her head as if she were right next to her.

_"If you need anything. . .a ride somewhere or just an ear, don't hesitant to call. Anytime. One of us will pick up."_

Sighing to herself, Eva slides her phone back into her pocket, and tugs her backpack up her shoulder. She takes a step toward the door, hand reaching out to open it, when someone opens it from the inside. There's a blur of green eyes and greying blonde hair, as Rosalind threw herself at her daughter, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and squeezing. Eva's stay limp at her sides, but her mother doesn't seem to notice.

"Thank God, you're okay! I had to hear you were still alive from the  _news!_ It's been nearly two months, Eve, why haven't you come over? Why haven't you answered any of my calls? I know you're grieving, and I'm so sorry about your friend, dear. And Nicole, I can't believe such a sweet woman would do such a thing. You could have contacted me somehow! Sent me a text message -  _something!_  I nearly keeled over, I was so worried, your father had to-"

"Mom, we need to talk." Eva interjects, her flat tone of voice causing her mother to release her from the bone crushing embrace. Green eyes that match Eva's perfectly, are glassy and her cheeks are wet from tears. Her eyebrows were creased in concern. When Rosalind feasts her eyes on her daughters carefully blank expression, something tightens in her chest.

". . .Alright. Well, come on in," Rosalind steps back into the house with Eva trailing after her, closing the door behind her. There was a screeching of a kettle coming from the kitchen. "Your father is out with his friends, playing poker I suspect. Would you like some tea? I was just making some before you showed up."

Mama Price only babbled when she was worried. The mother and daughter had the type of relationship where silence was always comfortable, they only spoke to each other when they had something that needed to be said. . .they liked it that way. It made them close, though no one else really understood their relationship but them. But now, Rosalind was fishing for anything to say to take up the tense silence surrounding them. 

Without waiting for an answer, she takes the kettle off the burner and pours two cups. The scent of Earl Grey tea wafts in the air. Rosalind brings a tray with tea and chocolate chip cookies into the living room, where Eva is standing stiff in front of one of the arm chairs. Her hands are trembling slightly as she sets the tray down on the coffee table.

Reluctantly, Eva sits in the chair, her bag sliding down her arm and onto the floor. She watches as her mother picks up one of the teacups, dunking the bag into the steaming water again and again. Rosalind keeps her eyes on her cup until she has no choice but to meet her daughter's gaze.

She tries to smile, but it's weak. "What did you want to talk about, Eve?"

Taking in a deep breath, Eva unzips her backpack and takes out the two files Natasha had given her after some digging. Clenching her teeth together, she slaps them onto the coffee table, causing them to slide closer to her mom, whom watches with wary eyes.

The house is deadly silent as Eva leans forward, and flips one of the files open. Inside are the photographs from the crime scenes. Only three. Eva slides them out and lines them up, side-by-side in chronological order, showing the words  _VENGEANCE, FURY, EVANGELINE_ painted in red. Without missing a beat, she opens the other file bearing her mothers true identity to the room. Rosalind breathes in sharply, startling so badly she spills some of her tea on her pants.

Eva leans back in her seat, her hands curled into fists on her thighs. Her eyes remain on the files as she speaks. "A friend told me your file was pretty redacted, but she gathered what she could for me. It says here you used to be a part of a terrorist organisation by the name  _Vengeance._ Which just so happens to be one of the words we found painted on the wall after one of our jobs." The dark-haired girl pauses, eyes flicking up to gauge her mother's reaction, only to find her expressionless.  _Her training seemed to be coming back to her, or she had never forgotten it in the first place._

Evangeline had memorised her mom's file, and so she recited from memory, looking down at the tea on Rosalind's pastel pink dress pants. "It also says you were sent to kill the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D., Director  _Fury_. But you didn't, which I suppose is good thing, in retrospect. Although, judging by the group's reputation, as hush-hush as it may be, you've killed people before." She points to the word, or in this case, the  _name_ ,  _Fury,_ and finally, she gestures to her own name.

"I can only assume they've been coming after me, through Nicole, because of you. Why?" She demands to know, her voice shaking with anger. "Why'd you run away? Couldn't you have just asked them to let you go?" She gets louder and more angry as she goes on. "What was so important that you had to bring me into this? What was so  _damn_ important that ended with my friend getting killed?!"

Their voices overlap as Rosalind, or Alicia, yells out, "He got me pregnant!" 

Silence falls over them as they stare at each other, wide eyed and panting for breath.

Eva's mom licks her lips. "I left because. . .I slept with my enemy instead of killing him, and he got me pregnant." She lets out a shuddering breath, then whispers, "That life was no place for a baby."

Eva falls back in her chair, shocked as she stares at her mother silently. Eventually, she finds it within herself to speak again. "So, what. . .you're saying I could've had a sibling? What happened to them? Does dad know?" At the back of her mind, she knows that this line of questioning was fruitless, but she just couldn't admit it to herself yet.

Rosalind/Alicia lets out a mirthless laugh as she shakes her head. "Michael isn't your biological father, Gelly." Eva flinches as her childhood nickname falls from her lips.

Sitting ramrod straight in her chair, Eva speaks through clenched teeth. "How can you still call me that, after everything you've done?" Rising to her feet like a shot, she grabs the files and shoves them unceremoniously into her backpack, undoubtedly wrinkling the official papers. 

As Eva storms to the front door, her mother follows after her, pleading with her, "I was just trying to protect you from my past! I had no choice!"

The biracial woman lets out a scoff. "Well, you've done a bag-up job of that,  _Alicia._ "

The older woman falls silent as she trails behind her only child, reaching the door just as Eva pulls it open and steps over the threshold. Before she leaves, she turns on her heel and looks her mother in the eye one last time. "Every loss we've had on the job with these words painted around. . .the blood is on your hands, just as much as Nicole's."

Rosalind Andrews, formally known as Alicia Richards, barely has time to react before the door slams shut in her face.


End file.
